Friday, July 30, 2010

Welcome to stop #5 on the Stampin' Addicts Mega Blog Hop! This Blog Hop features 26 Stampin' Addicts members who are sharing their creativity with us. Each stop will feature products from the new Idea Book & Catalog!

If you are following the hop in order, you just came from Kim's blog Stitchin' Stampin' on Paper where she showcased gorgeous projects using the single stamp Homemade. Isn't it amazing what you can do with one stamp?

Today I am showing some ideas using another single stamp, So Many Thanks. This is a stamp that I got to work with to create samples for the Display Boards at Convention, and as I worked with this stamp, I was amazed at how versatile a single stamp can be.

This card is the first one that I created using this stamp. A very simple card that shows off some of our new colors: Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight and Early Espresso. The row of hearts across the card base are the same hearts from the stamp--I just used my stamp-a-ma-jig and Early Espresso marker to create the line. I'm also loving the new 1/8" taffeta ribbon--I've already used almost a whole roll of the Early Espresso. :-)

As I was playing around with this stamp, I realized I didn't need to be confined to the square image of the stamp. The idea for the layout of this card came from an old inspiration sheet--I believe the (now discontinued) set Be Happy. The colors featured here are Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, So Saffron, and Early Espresso.

I stamped the So Many Thanks image with Crumb Cake on the coordinating paper a few times (using the stamp-a-ma-jig) and then punched it out using the Extra Large Fancy Flower Punch. I took my Early Espresso marker and went around the edges of the flower to add a little definition. The sentiment is from the set Fabulous Phrases and is embossed. On the So Saffron strip, you are actually getting a sneak peek of a wheel that will be in the upcoming Holiday Mini Catalog. ;-) The center of the flower has a layer of Crystal Effects.

This next project is a simple 3"x3" card. The colors are Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, and Melon Mambo. I used a marker to select and stamp only the 'thanks', and then added the 'heartfelt' from the set Fabulous Phrases. The flowers are from the Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, and they have Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds in the center. Along the side I used my Scallop Edge Border Punch.

And last but not least, a 3-D project. I used my Big Shot to create a Pillow Box with the Newsprint Designer Series Paper (DSP). I used the circle/flower center stamp from the set Pick a Petal to stamp some circles in Marina Mist--just to add a little color and interest to the DSP. I markered and stamped the 'thanks' and then punched with the 1 3/4 by 7/8" Oval Punch. I distressed the edges and layered it onto a Basic Black Scallop Oval Extra Large punch.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you've been inspired by these projects.

Next on the Blog Hop is Heidi over at RunningwScissorsStamper. She will be showcasing the stamp set Wicked Cool--a set that is on my wish list! Go check out her awesome creations, and then continue on in the Hop to see more projects showcasing all-new sets from the catalog.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Another fun challenge this week over at Stampin' Celebration! I'm still traveling, so I don't have anything to share with you this week, but pop on over to Stampin' Celebration and see what the other members of the Design Team have created.

We'd also love to have you join us! Create something inspired by these pictures and upload it to the Stampin' Celebration website. You may even be voted as one of the Top 3 picks. :-)

Make sure you check back tomorrow! I will be participating in the Stampin' Addicts New Catalog Mega Blog Hop. There will be over 25 talented stampers showing off all new stamp sets from the catalog! Be prepared to be inspired. :-)

And last but not least, Stampin' Up! has announced a Hostess Promotion from now until the end of August. When you host a workshop that totals $350 or more, you earn an EXTRA $25 in free merchandise--in addition to the regular hostess benefits. You can read more about the promotion HERE. Would you like to host a workshop? Contact me today to schedule a date before the end of August and we will work together to make it your best party yet.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Ready for another card with the set Just Believe? This is another card that was on the Display Boards at convention. :-) The color scheme for this card came right from the Always Artichoke page of the new Color Coach. I used the 'sweet set' Always Artichoke, So Saffron, and Cajun Craze along with the 'dynamic duo' River Rock and Always Artichoke. As I was making these samples for the boards, I was so glad that I had the Color Coach! Especially since I was using new colors that I wasn't familiar with, it made creating color combinations SO much easier. Anyway, this is actually a fairly simple card. I started by stamping the card base with the Sanded Background stamp and Versamark ink. I tore the edge of the Cajun Craze layer and then added the paper piercing. For the main image and the sentiment I stamped with versamark ink and heat embossed with White Stampin' Emboss powder. I used the Cutter Kit to distress the edges of the Always Artichoke layer and curled the one corner a bit. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I used the Faux Suede technique on the So Saffron layer. If you aren't familiar with the Faux Suede technique, it is actually fairly simple. Take your strip of paper and a bone folder. Use the bone folder to pull it along the paper as if you are curling ribbon. Make sure the 'curl' the paper every which way so that you can break down the fibers in the paper. Next start at a corner of the paper and carefully peel the paper apart into two halves lengthwise--as if you are peeling a sticker from the backing. The 'faux suede' is actually just the inside of the paper. You'll have to try it to see how simple it really is! I love this technique because it easily adds (soft) texture to your project. To see two more samples using the faux suede technigue, click HERE. Thanks for stopping by--hope you've enjoyed! Stamps: Just Believe, Sanded BGInk: VersamarkPaper: River Rock, Always Artichoke, Cajun Craze, So SaffronAccessories: Paper Piercing Tool, Mat Pack, Linen Thread, White Stampin' EP, Heat Tool, Embossing Buddy, Cutter Kit, dimensionals

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Here is another Display Board card using the gorgeous set Just Believe. So, of the new In Colors, Peach Parfait is one of my favorites. I especially love the way it looks with Early Espresso.

For this card I used a simple technique called masking. To create the mask, I took a sheet of typing paper, cut out and removed a rectangle, and then put it over the top of my Whisper White paper. I sponged Peach Parfait inside the rectangle. Then with the mask still in place I stamped the image several times. Most of those images were stamped once or twice on scratch paper before I stamped on the Whisper White. Then of course I stamped the image one more time in Early Espresso after I removed the mask.

The sentiment is inside a frame that comes from the Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware. The ribbon is the 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta ribbon. I pulled the ribbon through the hole on the frame, tied a single knot, and then pulled the short end back through the hole to give that nice finished look on the knots. The Early Espresso layer is popped up on Dimemsionals.

Check back tomorrow for another card using this beautiful set Just Believe. :-)

Monday, July 26, 2010

Yay! I can finally start sharing with you all the projects that I made for the Display Boards at convention! One of the sets I worked with is Just Believe. What a pretty stamp set! After I finished creating all my samples, I think this simple card ended up being among my favorites.

I think I may have mentioned previously that the combination of Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight is one of my new favorites. Somehow it seems to be calming and energizing at the same time.

For this card all I did was stamp the images, punch them out with my 1 1/4" circle punch, and then add the Linen Thread between the circles. The image was stamped with Versamark Ink and embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. How simple is that?

Thanks for stopping by! Check back later for more Display Board samples. :-)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Another great Stampin' Celebration Challenge! This week the theme is Dessert Party. Yum! So, I thought it only appropriate that my project include candy. :-) It also happens that I'm using this treat holder for one of my organized swaps this week at convention.

This candy holder is a simple one using the Scallop Square Bigz Clear Die. I first came up with the idea to use the Scallop Square Die as a treat holder HERE--the very first Stampin' Celebration challenge. For this treat holder I added the layer of 4" by 4" Greenhouse Gala Designer Paper to add some color.

Here's a picture of the back of the treat holder:

Hint #1: Place a small strip of Sticky Strip where the two top corners meet. This will help hold everything in place while you use the Crop-A-Dile to punch two holes that the ribbon will thread through.

Hint #2: If you are adding a baked treat or other item that you are worried may damage the paper, you can add a layer of protective plastic. I used the plastic that covers the card stock to make a protective layer for the treat holder. Just run the plastic through the Big Shot with the Scallop Square Die, and adhere to the paper using SNAIL adhesive.

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to stop by Stampin' Celebration to see what the other memebers of the Design Team are up to this week.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Although the stamp set Artistic Etchings didn't immediately catch my eye as a set that would be 'my style', I'm glad that I decided to get it. It is an easy stamp set to work with, and creates beautiful images. The above card is another one that we made for club this month, and the idea came from HERE. My friend Cindy sent me the link to that cute card, and then I essentially created the same card with Stampin Up supplies.

I stamped the image with Very Vanilla craft ink on Crumb Cake card stock. After I let the ink dry completely, I stamped the sentiment from the new set Fabulous Phrases with Jet Black StazOn ink. To the center of the image I added a small circle of Pear Pizzazz (Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack) and one of the new Basic Pearls. The gorgeous ribbon is the new Victoria 5/8" Crochet Trim ribbon.

Finished card size is 3 1/2" by 5".

For convention, one of the organized swaps I am participating in is "All About the Details". I thought the card we made for club was a good start, so I added a couple more details. I added the black layer and some embossing on the base layer. If you look closely, you can see the base was stamped with versamark ink and then heat embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. Hopefully the ladies I am swapping with (today) will like it! The card is the standard 4 1/4" by 5 1/2" size.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Today I have two more projects to show that we made at club this month. These both use the set Sweet Scoops that can be found in the Summer Mini Catalog. Remember that you only have until the end of August to order from the Mini Catalog!

The colors are the new Peach Parfait (love it!) and Rose Red. My idea behind this set was that sometimes you need 'a little something'. Those time when just a card isn't quite enough, but a gift is too much. A card and cute little basket filled with some candy is just right. :-)

Both the card and the box use the sprinkles stamp randomly stamped on the background. The card shows off the new 1/8" taffeta ribbon in both Pretty in Pink and Pumpkin Pie. The ice cream has a layer of Smooch Illuminate Top Coat to give some sparkle.

The box is an idea that came from Lisa Curcio. It uses two of the tags from the Two Tags Big Shot die. It's such a creative way to use that die! While searching to see if Lisa had a blog, I ran across a tutorial for the box over at Kendra's Creative Corner. Check out her tutorial HERE for the Two Tags basket and cute strawberries she made to go inside.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Today I am en route to Salt Lake City, Utah. Why? To visit family and attend the Stampin' Up Convention! Convention starts Wednesday, and I can hardly wait! I'm lucky that I am able to visit family and go to Convention all in the same trip. And I'm lucky to have the best mother-in-law in the world who watches my two children for me so that I can go to Convention. :-)

So if you are reading this, that means I successfully scheduled this post. I have several posts scheduled over the next few weeks while I will be out of town--hopefully they all work. technology and I often have troubles with each other. ;-)

Anyway, so the project I have to show you today is a Mini Message Board. This is one of the projects that we made for club this month.

I ran lightweight chipboard and Daffodil Delight card stock through the Big Shot using the Scallop Square die. Layered on top of that is part of a Cork Sheet. You can find cork sheets on page 205 of the catalog. I'm so excited that Stampin' Up now sells not only the cork sheets, but also the magnet sheets! I know I'll be using both quite a bit.

My favorite part of the board is the flower--not only is it decoration, it is also a tack that you can use to put notes on your board. :-) The flower is made of two Paper Daisies--another new item in the catalog (page 188). I used a sponge dauber and Concord Crush ink to color the smaller flower.

As you may be able to tell from this next photo, I put 2 dimensionals stacked on top of each other between the flowers, and then pushed a tack through everything. I added a circle of Daffodil Delight card stock to the top of the tack using Crystal Effects as the adhesive. I added a thin layer of Smooch Illuminate Top Coat to give some sparkle to the center of the flower.

Note: I added the dimensionals between the flowers because I didn't want the tack to poke through the back of the Message Board. Essentially the dimensionals shortened the reach of the tack.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

This week over at Stampin' Celebration, we're celebrating summer! When I think of summer, one of the first things I think of is birthdays. In our family and extended family we have A LOT of summer birthdays, and July is a particularly busy month. In fact there is a 3 day period where we have 4 birthdays!! So, I used the colors from the inspiration piece and created some little birthday treats.

The colors I picked this week were Baja Breeze, So Saffron, and one of the new In Colors--Poppy Parade. By the way, this color combination is right from the new Color Coach--a tool I would highly recommend. I used my Mini Milk Carton Die and Big Shot to make the cartons.

I used the new set Got Treats and my markers to stamp the images. I added a few embellishments and that's it. These were actually quite simple to make, and it would be easy to change up the colors depending on the occasion. I think these would make not only a cute gift to give someone on their birthday, but also a cute party favor.

A couple things to note: The scallops along the edge of the image on the Baja Breeze carton are from the Scallop Square Punch. The frosting on the cupcake was covered with a thin layer of Smooch Illuminate Top Coat. This is a new shimmer product in the catalog. You can find it on page 195, and it reminds me of nail polish (without the smell!). When you open it, there's a little brush that allows you to add shimmer easily to small or specific areas of an image.

Thanks for stopping by! Make sure to go check out what the other members of the Design Team have made this week. Also stop by to see the Top 3 Picks for last week's inspiration challenge. And then, last but not least, be inspired to create something yourself. Upload it to the Stampin' Celebration blog so we can all share your creativity. :-)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hi everyone! I hope that you are having a great week. This week I am busily preparing for the Stampin' Up convention that I will be attending next week. I am stamping swaps as fast as I can. :-) So, today I pulled a card from my files that I haven't shared before.

I actually created this for my sister-in-law's birthday in January. This card uses the set Messages for Mom . . . which isn't only for Mother's Day. The idea for this card came from a swap I received from the talented Paula Wright. I did change the stamp sets, but other than that I stayed pretty close to her card.

I ran the Old Olive layer through the Big Shot with the Perfect Details texturz plate, and stamped the Rich Razzleberry layer repeatedly with an image from the set Vintage Vogue. To color the flowers, I used blender pens. I also added some Dazzling Diamonds to the center of the largest flower.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

What a great inspiration piece this week over at Stampin' Celebration! I think this may be one of my favorites to date! And how perfect that we are celebrating weddings. I decided to double-dip this week and not only create something for the challenge, but also design my sister's bridal shower invitations at the same time.

I chose Basic Black and Barely Banana for this week. I will use this same layout and design for my sister's invites, just change all of the black to Certainly Celery. This invitation is 3 3/4" by 8" and fits perfectly inside a standard size business type envelope. Part of the reason that chose this size invite is that I will be able to make all of them using scraps left over from the invitations. I will barely do any cutting (saving lots of time) and also not let all those paper scraps go to waste.

For the texture, I used the new Vintage Wallpaper Textured Embossing Folder. After I textured, I also sprayed with Vanilla Smooch Spritz giving it a nice shimmer.

I also wanted to make up some simple thank you notes that my sister can use after the shower. I took the design of the invitation and simplified a bit. The sentiment is from the new hostess set Because I Care, and is stamped with Basic Black Craft Ink and embossed with Clear Stampin' Emboss Powder. The finished card size is 3 1/2" by 5" and again I'm just using the paper scraps from the invites. And of course I'll also change the black to Certainly Celery to match her wedding colors.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

As promised, here is a picture of my little sister's wedding invitations. This past weekend my mom and sister flew in to help make all of the invites. We didn't finish all 600 (nope, not a typo) but we made very good progress. We completely finished 300, and all of the cutting and hole punching for the others. We probably could have finished all of them, but we decided to take some time to have fun too. Can't have all work and no play. :-)

As we started making them, I was SO glad that my sister chose such a simple invite. She sent a picture of the style that she wanted and picked the colors (Barely Banana and Certainly Celery), so I didn't even really have to design anything, just order the paper and ribbon. :-) My mom even had all of the (embossed) printing done professionally so I didn't even have to worry about that.

I didn't think to take a picture of the progress of the invites until we were boxing them up. So here you go, one of the largest Stampin Up boxes, full to the top with invitations!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. This past weekend was a little (ok, VERY) busy, but oh so much fun! Not only did I host a New Catalog Open House, I also helped my sister make her wedding invitations. Check back tomorrow for more about that. :-)

So this card was the make & take at the Open House. I decided on this card as it is quite simple, yet shows off several of the new products from the catalog. The stamp set is Friends Never Fade, and the Designer Series Paper is Greenhouse Gala.

To stamp the image, I showed a simple technique called 'rock 'n roll'. I inked the stamp with Daffodil Delight, gently 'rolled' in on my scratch paper to remove the yellow ink off just the edges of the stamp, and then carefully 'rolled' the stamp in the Marina Mist stamp pad. Then I stamped the image on Whisper White paper and you get this fun two-toned imaged. This is a simple technique that has fun results. Just make sure to always start with your lighter ink first, and then move to your darker ink so that you don't ruin a stamp pad.

After stamping, I punched out the image with the 1 3/8" circle punch, and then layered it onto the NEW 2 3/8" scallop circle punch. yay! The ribbon on this card is Marina Mist grosgrain ribbon and the new Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon.

This color combination Marina Mist and Daffodil Delight is one of my new favorites. It looks great with Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, or Night of Navy. Talk about some versatile colors. And yes, I've actually made projects with all these combos--BUT I can't show them yet. . . .

Based on some samples I sent in earlier this year, I was picked to be a Make & Take Display Stamper for Convention. I was honored to be picked! So what does this mean? It means I spent the last few weeks of June stamping away and creating projects using new products, AND many of these items will be on the display boards at Convention later this month! It was a lot of work, but it was tons of fun!! I really enjoyed playing with the new colors and finding my new favorite combinations. Starting after July 25th I'll be able to start sharing these projects with you. I can't wait. :-)

Thursday, July 1, 2010

This week over at Stampin' Celebration, we're celebrating the 4th of July, or Canada Day, as the case may be. :-) I love the inspiration piece this week, and I decided to go with the star theme in the bottom right photo.

This week I made a treat holder that fits a candy bar or other small gift. My club members will recognize this idea from the Valentine treat holders we made in January. The idea for this came from Leadership 2010. Unfortunately I didn't keep track of who showed us this project--if some one reading this happens to know who to give credit to for this great idea, please let me know!

I started with a 4" by 10 1/2" piece of Real Red card stock. I ran the card stock through the Big Shot with the Movers & Shapers Die with the star magnetic piece in place. Make sure to keep the punched out star to use for the tag. Then I added score marks at 1/2" along each of the long ends, and 1/2" away from the shorter, center score mark from the Movers & Shapers Die.

Along the top of the box I distressed the edge and added the paper piercing. I also added paper piercing around the star. The center of the star tag has a rhinestone brad to add a little bling.

It just so happened that I didn't have a candy bar on hand to wrap in coordinating paper and slip inside the box, so I grabbed some tissue paper and stamped a few stars instead.

I hope you've enjoyed this project! Make sure to stop by Stampin' Celebration to see what the other members of the Design Team made using this same inspiration piece.

The Fine Print

All content on this website is copyright Allison Ohran. Unless otherwise noted, the ideas, artwork and text are my original work shared for your personal inspiration only and may not be copied for publication or contest submissions. Also, as an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator the content on this website is my sole responsibility and is not endorsed by Stampin' Up!